Strawberry Cake
by tiffen-san
Summary: All ingredients are uncooked and taste bad…but if you put them together, it’ll make a delicious cake! Just like our life, there are a lot of difficult times, but we don’t realize what or where these events may bring us. NxM pairing, read real summary insi


**Strawberry Cake**

All ingredients are uncooked and taste bad…but if you put them together, it'll make a delicious cake! Just like our life, there are a lot of difficult times, but we don't realize what or where these events may bring us. NxM pairing, read real summary inside…XD

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Summary:

Sakura Mikan is a newly employed pastry chef in a Five Star Hotel and Restaurant. One night, she bumped into a rude guy and made a fuss. The next day, she found out that this guy is the son of the owner of the hotel she just employed in! What will happen if this guy try and play all tricks just to make her quit her job?

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Please submit your reviews… XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, it rightfully belongs to Higuchi Tachibana.

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Characters' Ages:

Mikan Sakura – 24

Hotaru Imai – 24

Natsume Hyuuga – 25

Ruka Nogi – 25

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Chapter 1

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Being cheerful and bubbly is really one of Mikan Sakura's good characteristics, Hotaru Imai thought. They had been friends since they were little. They were both present in most of each other's life. Even though a lot of hardships had come to her, she still remained positive in almost everything…a pure optimist, that's what she is.

"Yey!!! I got a job, I'm so happy!" Mikan cried.

"That's why we're here to celebrate, dummy!" she replied impassively.

They were now in a bar to celebrate Mikan's employment. She just got admitted in the Yuna Five-star Hotel & Restaurant. The hotel is quite famous and has many branches world wide.

Hotaru's train of thoughts went back to their memories in high school. Mikan's mother, Aunt Yuka, she often calls her, has a very weak body and she is always prone to sickness. She had been in and out of the hospital. The doctors couldn't really figure out her sickness and concluded that it was because of her weak body.

After school, Mikan will always hurriedly go back home to take care of her. Her mother's condition worsened when Mikan graduated in college, Hotaru was an incoming 3rd year that year because Mikan only took a 2-year course in a Culinary School.

Instead of finding a job, Mikan stayed by her mother's side. She was only 5 years old when her father died in a car accident. Her Aunt Hana, Yuka-san's younger sister, had always been the one to support her financial needs. Aunt Hana owns and runs a grocery shop. She is still unmarried and doesn't have any children, but she treats Mikan as if she was her own.

Aunt Yuka's suffering ended last year…she finally died. Only few had attended her burial. A lot of the people who had known her had already forgotten about her due to her long absence in society.

Mikan finally broke… She cried so much the day her mother died. Hotaru didn't know how many tears she kept bottled up all those years. A week after her mother's burial, she had been in a stage where she had been almost lifeless, like all life was sucked out from her. Hotaru felt like she was a total stranger to her. There had been a time when she had confronted her, and that had seem to help her get back to normal and move on with her own life. Month after month, she had seemed to regain back more of her strength and finally recovered.

But not only is she back to her normal self, she had also shown some progress that she had indeed grown up and started to view everything in the world more maturely.

"Nee, Mikan-chan, what will you do when you receive your first pay?" Nonoko asked.

"Ummm… I think I'd give it to Aunt Hana." She replied happily.

Nonoko Ogasawara is one of their close friends back in high school. She's currently employed in a computer software company.

There was a slight "clank" and Hotaru's attention went back to Mikan.

"Oh dear, I spilled my drink." Mikan said as she stood up from their table and dabbed her handkerchief on her skirt.

"Clumsy as ever." Hotaru commented and passed her some tissue paper.

"Hey, it was an accident." She retorted and took the tissue paper from Hotaru's hand.

"You need to go to the restroom, Mikan-chan, or your hands will get sticky from the drink." Nonoko said as Mikan finished drying herself.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Hotaru politely asked.

Mikan shook her head and smiled, "Nah, there's no need Hotaru, I'll just wash my hands."

Hotaru and Nonoko stared at her back until she vanished from the large room.

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Natsume isn't really in the mood to party. His girlfriend…or should he say, his "ex-girlfriend" had already broken their 2-year relationship just a while ago.

His mood worsened when he entered the club. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes immediately reached his nostrils, the loud club music and drunken laughter of people impaired his ears, and the blinding lights irritated his eyes.

He isn't really fond of clubbing and going to bars. He'd rather prefer going to quiet places where people can relax and talk properly. Unlike in bars where he had to shout just to communicate with other people, even though the one he's talking to is just right beside him.

"Natsume!" a muffled voice cried.

He looked straight ahead and a raised hand from a small group of people who were sitting in one of the tables quickly grabbed his attention. The hand belonged to his long-time and childhood best friend Ruka. He's mood somewhat lightened upon seeing his best friend whom he had not seen in 2 and a half years.

The main reason why they were in a bar is to celebrate Ruka's homecoming, who had just arrived earlier that afternoon from France.

"Ruka!" He smirked at him as he approached the table.

Ruka stood up, flashing one of his genuine smiles at him as he handed him some drink.

"You're late, Natsume." He said and lightly punched him in the shoulder, which he did the same.

"It's because of Chiyuki, she broke up with me." He said blankly, as they sat together.

"Why? What happened?" Rei asked.

Natsume then noticed his other friends, Rei Otonashi and Soujirou Aida. Rei has light blue hair and jade eyes while Soujirou has chestnut hair and golden eyes. Both of them have the same body built but Soujirou is an inch shorter than Rei in height.

Soujirou and Rei were already best friends when he and Ruka met them in college. From their years in college up until now, Natsume could not remember seeing these two separate from each other.

The two were much like brothers, they really get along well. But they are the exact opposites actually. Rei's personality is more in the cool and serious type while Soujirou's is more on the happy-go-lucky and outgoing type. They somewhat balance each other's personality.

"Don't know… She's been all moody lately." Natsume replied.

"Maybe it's her time of the month." Rei said.

Soujirou and Ruka laughed.

"What? What? Did I say something wrong?" Rei asked. Confusion was all written in his face.

"You sound so serious when you said that." Ruka commented after they stopped laughing.

"By the Ruka, when will you go back to France again?" Soujirou intervened.

Ruka though for a while and said, "I'm not sure, but you should expect that I would be staying here for a while…I really missed Japan, you see."

The conversation continued pleasantly. All of them were discussing a lot of things for a while, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Then, Soujirou brought back the topic about Chiyuki again.

"Did you meet her?" He asked Ruka.

Ruka shook his head.

"She's quite beautiful, you know, am I right Rei?" Rei nodded in agreement, "Don't know why or what Natsume did to make her upset." He said in a comedic manner.

Natsume suddenly stood up and walked away from their table.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Soujirou shouted. Their faces were all puzzled.

"Bathroom." He simply said and continued walking.

Soujirou and Rei looked at each other while Ruka stared at them in an accusing manner.

"We were just teasing him." Soujirou said innocently.

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Mikan P.O.V.

Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom. Where the heck is the bathroom! I've been looking for it for almost 20 minutes already! Ah! I should ask that guy over there.

I slowly approached the guy leaning on the wall. He has blond hair and deep green eyes. He was quite good-looking, really.

"Uumm… Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find the bathroom?" I asked him.

He gave me directions with matching gestures.

"Turn left on that way and then turn right,"

I thanked him and skipped merrily. But as I was going to turn left in the corner, something hit me really hard.

"Ooww!"

I fell flat on the floor.

"#$&8!" I heard someone swear.

I opened my eyes and made contact with mesmerizing ruby ones.

I stared at the guy sitting in front of me and wondered if he's a superstar or what. He's really handsome. He's like a prince from a fairytale…

"Watch where you're going!" he yelled, still swearing.

…or more like a villain… TT

"I'm so sorry." I apologized to him politely and bowed.

He quickly stood up and dusted his pants.

"Stupid girl."

I quickly looked up at him with my mouth agape, in shock. He stared at me as if I'm the most disgusting thing in the planet.

"Hey! I already apologized, you idiot! And it wasn't my entire fault! You're to be blamed as well! You should apologize!" I yelled at him.

He glared at me.

I glared back at him.

"Why should I apologize to someone like you? You _ugly girl_."

I felt my carotid going to burst in a few minutes.

I kicked him as hard as I can in the shin.

He fell back flat on the floor.

I stood up, looked down at him and gave him my nastiest smirk.

"That's what you deserve, you rude idiot!"

His jaw tensed and his teeth clenched. He's eyes reflecting how angry he is.

I dusted my skirt and confidently passed by him, then, he kicked me suddenly on the knee. I lost my balance and hit the wall.

"Ooww..."

Pain surfaced on the areas of my knee and forehead. I sat up and looked at the man behind me.

He was still sitting on the floor and…he's…he's…

…he's smirking at me!

The nerve of that guy! I felt my cheeks flush and my blood simmer due to anger.

"If you think it's because you're a girl, I'll go easy on you. You better think again, ugly!"

The next thing I knew I was on top of him, punching him in the face as hard as I can. But he was really quick; he caught my arms and locked them.

I bit him in the arm.

"Ouch! You bit me! What are you?! A dog?!"

He pulled my long hair really hard. Pain sipped into my scalp.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, "Somebody! Help me! I'm being harassed! Help!!"

In an instant, a small group of people were already running toward us. The blond that I talked to earlier was also there. He pulled me away from the rude guy.

"Don't touch me!" I heard the rude guy yelled. He shoved the guy wearing a red shirt, who was pinning his arms on the wall.

He remained standing while catching his breath for a while, trying to calm himself, I think.

He glared at the crowd and the crowd instantly made a way for him to exit. He glared at me one last time, his lips in a thin line and continued walking until he was out of sight. I could feel goose bumps crawling on my skin. What a scary guy.

Hmph.

Why should I be scared of him? He's the one who started it! If he would have apologized and treated me in a nicer manner, we wouldn't have been in this situation.

"Miss, are you ok?" I heard blondie ask.

I thanked him and smiled at him gratefully. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you again for helping me."

He smiled back.

He was about to say something when he was cut by a yell.

"MIKAN-CHAN!!!"

I turned on my left and saw Nonoko and Hotaru running, panic written all over their faces…no wait, panic written only on Nonoko's face…

Hotaru's facial expression is just like any other day, still poker faced.

"Hotaru! Nonoko!"

They were panting when they stopped in front of me.

"What happened?" Hotaru asked.

"We had a-pant-bad feeling that something happened-pant- to you because you were gone for a long time." Nonoko said, still gasping for breath.

I looked at the curious eyes around us before whispering to them. "I'll tell you guys what happened when we get home."

Hotaru stared at me for a very very long while. She slightly bent her head sideward, as if she was pointing at something.

Then, I got her message.

"Umm… Everyone, thank you for helping me, I'm sorry for causing all of you a lot of trouble." I said to everyone.

Some nodded and some said that it was nothing, they slowly walked back in the hallway until everyone was gone except us and blondie.

"Umm… Thank you again for helping me…" I said to the guy.

"It's nothing, really. Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced myself," he coughed and said in a more formal tone, "I'm Tetsuo Ishida." and stick out his hand.

I gave his had a shake and gave him a smile, "Mikan Sakura. These are my friends, Hotaru Imai and Nonoko Ogasawara."

"Thank you for helping our friend." Nonoko said politely while Hotaru gave him a small smile.

"It's not a problem. Well, I should be going now, my friends might be waiting for me, see you guys around." With that, he gave us one last smile and slowly walked back on the other side of the hallway.

"You trouble-some girl." Hotaru commented. "Come on, let's go home so we can all rest."

"Hai, hai." I mumbled.

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Ring Ring

"Hello?"

"Ruka?"

"Natsume? Where are you? We almost finished our drinks here."

"Sorry Ruka, I'm in my car. I'm already on my way back home, had a little problem at the restroom area." The voice replied grumpily.

"Why? What happened? Did you get in a fight?"

"Nah. It's just because of this stupid girl. Anyway, just tell the guys that I already left."

"Oh, ok, Natsume."

"Ja."

"Ah."

Ruka pressed the button of his phone and sighed.

"Who was that?" Soujirou asked, his right eye brow raised.

"Natsume. He already left."

The two were a little surprised and confused. They looked at eachother.

"Do you think he got mad at us?"

"Nah. He said it was because of some girl in the restroom area." Ruka explained.

Soujirou and Rei gave him an even more puzzled look.

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A bit long for chapter 1, ne?... Hehe…

Sorry for some wrong grammars… XD

Well… The intro might be familiar to some of you because I got it from an email which my friend had sent me; it really inspired me to make this fanfic. I hope you'll enjoy reading my stories. Please submit your reviews. Thank you...

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